Toy



Nov. 16, 1943. R. A. FROEHLIG TOY Filed Dec. 19, 1942 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 1(5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs Rudolph A. Froehlig, Little Neck, N. Y., assignor to Badger Cut Outs, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 19, 1942, Serial No. 469,539 Claims. (01. 46-126) This invention relates to toys, particularly to puppet toys which resemble quadrupeds, and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art. I

One of the particular objects of the invention is to provide a puppet toy which is inexpensive and .hence available to the-greatest possible number of users.

Another object is to provide a puppet toy which can be formed in standard shapes in a cardboard sheet partly cut through, ready to be pressed out of the blank and assembled by the user.

Another object is to provide apuppet toy with pro-punched stringing holes which are so disposed that the end knots'of the strings are located on the outside and atsuch places that they will not the parts.

Another object is to locate the joints and points of support in such positions that the puppet will have movements which simulate natural movements but which depart sufficiently from natural movements to provide grotesque or amusing actions and postures.

The above and other objects of the invention as well as various features of novelty will be apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof which is shown in the accompanying drawing, whereinz Fig. 1 is a plan view of the parts at an intermediate stage of assembly;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the puppet at the completion of the stringing operation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the puppet in a characteristic movement; and

Fig. 4 is an upper edge view of the puppet without the supporting bar and strings.

The puppet chosen for illustration is a fanciful dog, but it will be understood that other quadrupeds may be selected. The parts comprise a head i 0 which includes similar sides folded together along the line II, a neck l2, ears I3, forelegs l4, forefeet I5, a front body section I6 consisting of similar parallel parts, a rear body section I l, hind legs l8, hind feet I9, and a tail 20 which is integral with the rear body section.

The head is provided with pre-punched holes 25, the ears with holes 26, and the front end of the neck with a hole 21, which receive a string 28 by which they are connected in a loose hinged joint as shown in- Fig. 2.

The rear end of the neck is provided with a hole 30, the front body section pieces with holes 3|, the forelegs with holes 32, 33 and 34, and the interfere with the movements of I forefeet with holes 35, which receive a strin 36 by which they are connected in a loose hinged joint as shown in Fig.2.

The rear end of the frontbody section pieces is provided with holes 40, and the front end of the rear body section with a hole 4 I which receive a string it by which they are connected in a loose hinged joint as shown in Fig. 2.

The rear end of the rear body section is provided with a hole 45, the hind legs with holes 56, ll and 48, and the-hind feet with the holes 49, which receive a string by which they are connected in a loose hinged joint as shown in Fig. 2. l

The provision of the middle holes :33 in the forelegs and the middle holes ll in the hind legs hold the string close to-the legs and place the end knots of the strings on the outside of the feet where they will not interfere with the free swinging movement of the parts. It will also be notedthat the feet are placed on the outer sides of the legs Where'they will not interfere with the free swinging movements of the parts. When the parts are hinged by strings, the pivot holes of the lower parts hang below the corresponding pivot holes of the upper parts, the upper holes being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Of course, if metal staples or pins are used for the joint pivots, the holes will be aligned, but it is satisfactory and less expensive to use string to secure the parts together.

A convenient method of stringing is to provide a single long piece of string which is provided with a pointed stiff front end 56 (as by impregnation with adhesive, Wax or the like and rolling), which is used for all stringing operations and to cut off rear sections of the string as required for the successive joints. An excess amount of string is provided so that the parts may be threaded together while lying fiat on a table and later pulledup and secured loosely by a second knot. After each joint is secured the excess string iscut off and discarded.

After the figure proper is assembled it is connected to a control bar 66 by strings BI, 62 and E3. The rear string 6! is connected to the rear body section ll through a hole 64 which is located above and behind the hinge hole 45. The middle string 62 is connected to the front end of the front body section through matched holes 65 which are located above and behind the hinge holes 3|. The front string 63 is connected to the head through matched holes 65 which are located above and in front of the hinge holes 25.

The hinged connection between the two body body ends level in normal position of the bar 69.

The puppet may be manipulated in many different ways to produce a great variety of amusing loose-jointed movements and postures, the lateral spacing apart of the members at the joints permitting side movements in association with the loose longitudinal movements. One simple manipulation is illustrated in Fig. 3. Here the control bar 69 is swung up and down about the center as the puppet is moved along just above the floor. This produces a pleasing running movement with considerable swinging of the ears. When the head string is eased off the head is dropped and the nose pulled up in a snooping action.

' A great variety of other movements and postures can be produced as the operator becomes more experienced and skillful.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described to illustrate the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the inven tion may have various embodiments within the limits of the prior art and the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A puppet toy comprising in combination, a head member and neck each formed of flat sheet material and hinged together in overlapping relationship at the front end of the neck, front and rear body members formed of flat sheet material and hinged together at the middle of the body, forelegs and hind legs formed of flat sheet ma-, terial andrespectively hinged to the front and rearbody members, and suspension means for the head, and the front and rear body members adjacent the hinged connection of the forelegs and hind legs thereto, the hinged connection between the front and rear body members being unsupported by said suspension means.

2. A puppet toy comprising in combination, a

head, neck and ears each formed from flat sheet material hinged together in overlapping relationship at the front end of the neck on a first hinge line, a suspension string secured to the head above and in front of the first hinge line, a front body member and forelegs each formed from flat sheet material hinged in overlapping relationship to the rear end of the neck on a second hinge line, a suspension string secured to the front body member above and at one side of the second hinge line, a rear body member formed from fiat sheet material hinged in overlapping relationship to the front body member on a third hinge line, hind legs formed from flat sheet material hinged in overlapping relationship to the rear end of the rearbody member on a fourth hinge line, and a suspension string secured to the rear body member above and behind the fourth hinge line.

3. A puppet toy comprising in combination, a head, neck, forelegs, forefeet, body, hind legs and hind feet, each of said parts being formed from flat sheet material, the body, legs and feet at each end of the body being secured together in overlapping relationship in spaced joints by a single string which passes through three holes in the legs to place the knotted ends on the outside of the parts where they will not interfere with swinging movements.

4. A puppet toy comprising in combination, a

- head, neck, forelegs, forefeet, body, hind legs and hind feet, each of said parts being formed from fiat sheet material, the body, legs and feet at each end of the body being secured together in spaced joints by a single string which passes through three holes in the legs to place the knotted ends on the outside of the parts Where they will not interfere with swinging movements, the feet being placed on the outer side 'of the legs where they will not interfere with swinging movements.

5. A puppet toy comprising in combination, a head, neck, forelegs, forefeet, body, hind legs and hind feet, each of said parts being formed from fiat sheet material, the body, legs and feet at each end of the body being secured together in spaced joints by a single string which passes through three holes in the legs to place the knotted ends on the outside of the parts where they will not interfere with swinging movements, the string passing up the leg on one side, through the body joint and down the other side.

RUDOLPH A. FROEHLIG.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,551+,lp86. November 16, 1911.5.

RUDO LPH A FROEHLIG It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, sec 0nd column, lines 55 and L5, after "together" insert -in overlapping relationship; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the 1 case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of January, A. D. 191114..

Henry VamArsdale,

(Seal) Actin Commissioner of Patents. 

